I think it’s safe to say that when a band influences Kurt Cobain, Duran Duran, Def Leppard, Bjork and ABBA simultaneously in their time, they’ve done something right. Those five artists are a mere fraction of the people who the Mael brothers have inspired in their time and even when giving them a cursory listen, it makes sense. This stems from the fact that Sparks are a deeply strange band, to the extent that Bob Harris, the BBC’s general music guru, called them a cross between Frank Zappa and The Monkees. From their bizarre lyrics and samples, to Russell Mael’s almost comical falsetto, they are a sign that a band or artist can be as weird as they please and, so long as they have the songs to back it up, people will still love them for a very long time.
For that reason alone, it’s understandable that such a diverse array of artists would be inspired by them. However, there’s a lot more to this band than strangeness. For example, people who know them for their post-punk hits in the early 80’s might be surprised to learn that they predate many of the bands that they inspired. The Mael’s spent their early teens in the golden age of the L.A club scene, catching the likes of The Doors, Love and The Beach Boys all essentially playing live on their doorstep. However, as the sixties went on and the pop scene started being taken over by folk, which they detested, they started listening to bands coming out of the U.K, like the Who, The Move and Pink Floyd.
Inspired by what they heard, they put together a band called Halfnelson in1968, who got the attention of another alternative rock icon of the future, Todd Rundgren. He was a producer at the time, and after he started championing the band they were signed to Bearsville Records. Their self-titled debut album was released soon after that but it wasn’t a hit, the band decided to go back to the drawing board, and after they renamed themselves Sparks, their fortunes started to change. Slowly, of course, their debut single as Sparks “Wonder Girl” was only a mild regional hit but it was a hit nonetheless.
It was their second album, 1973’s “A Woofer In Tweeter’s Clothing”, that really got things moving for the band and made them a name in their spiritual home country, the U.K. The success of the album there led to a tour and a residency at London’s world famous Marquee club, which led to one night where they were supported by a bunch of no-hopers by the name of Queen. By the end of the year, they’d had an appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test and a record deal with Island Records. Their breakthrough album came the following year, preceded by the single “This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us”. No lesser name than Elton John bet its producer Muff Winwood that it wouldn’t make it into the charts. It hit number 2, and it’s still one of the most enduring hits of the early 70’s. I’m sure Elton’s still losing sleep over it.
The band had become a sensation in the U.K, appearing on the cover of Melody Maker and Record Mirror in quick succession with their single “Amateur Hour” also hitting the top 10 with panache. By 1975 the band finally returned to the states for a tour of the cities where, ironically enough, the news of Sparks’ success in the U.K had translated into major interest. The tour translated into a renewed interest in the band, with radio play and a slot on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand in the same year.
Since then, the band have continued to be alternative icons, never letting their music get stale or samey and never being afraid to change their own format to fit their new style. They continued having hits well into the 80’s, where their collaboration with Giorgio Moroder “The Number One Song In Heaven” was a top 20 hit and an inspiration for many a budding synth-pop group. Even thirty years after their heyday they were able to play an astonishing 20 nights at the 800 capacity Islington Academy in London, where they played each of their studio albums in full on every night, before premiering their new album at the time with a sold out show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Sparks then, truly a band who will never be replicated, and we should all be thankful to have them. One to see as soon as possible.
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